022809 - Swim

Jumped in the pool this morning to make up for the missed swim yesterday.  I went in with a goal to pick up the pace and I successfully covered 2600 yards in 45 minutes.  Here is what I did:

200 yd warm up

10 x 100 on 1:30 with 10 seconds rest

300 moderate pace

5 x 100 on 1:30 with 10 seconds rest

300 moderate pace

300 cool down.

I felt really good upping the yardage and I was quite tired during the work.  However, I am feeling like I really need to start working a little harder in the pool so this was a good workout overall.

022709 - Brick

I had a hard time getting out of bed this morning, so I missed my swim.  I am going to make it up tomorrow.  This evening, I went out for a brick.  I rode the work bike for 30 minutes and then went out on the National Mall for a 45 minute run.  My HR on the bike stayed around 145 and on the run, I averaged 145.  I did have the HR up in the 160s at the start of the run, but I was tired after the first 25 minutes and slowed down the pace.  My nutrition has been lousy this week and I think my workouts and mood is suffering because of that.  The fridge is not filled with a lot of options and I haven't been able to get my ass to the grocery store.  I also know I am not taking in enough water during the day and I better get this back in check next week.  It is going to be March and I only have 4 months to go!

022609 - Run

I was surprised that my plan had a run scheduled instead of a bike.  I am so used to the routine that I almost went home to ride the trainer.  It was a good thing I looked at the plan in the afternoon, because I would have been off schedule!  I guess with the Marathon near on the horizon, Max has got me kicking up the runs a bit.  I was very happy to get out last night for an hour run around the Catholic loop.  I extended it by adding the reservoir loop and completed the run in 58 minutes.  My average HR was only 145 and I was very surprised by that.  I covered just under 7 miles.

022509 - Swim

Hit the pool hard on Wednesday evening.  I did a quick warm up and then swam straight for 1 mile.  I felt like I was going at a good pace and completed the mile in just under 30 minutes.  I then did a number of 200s to close out the workout.  In all, I covered 2300 yards.  I am not sure if I am covering enough distance in my swim workouts and Max has cautioned me that my HR should be consistently above 150 in these workouts.  I am going to try to pick up the pace going forward.

022509 - Brick

Wednesday I hit the gym at work during lunch.  I rode the bike for 15 minutes and ran for 30.  While on the bike, I kept my HR around 140.  While running, I kept it around 145.  I covered a little more than 3 miles on the run.  Still tired and feeling lazy!

022409 - Brick

I took Monday off because I was traveling back from Vegas.  Therefore, Tuesday was a brick day and I was able to do a 30 minute run at the work gym and I biked at home on the trainer.  I kept my HR in the low 140s on the run and high 130s on the bike.  I felt pretty tired all day and I think I was adjusting from the time change.    

021609 - 022209 Tough Blogging

OK so the past week was a bit tough to blog.  I was a bit busy at work, and I went to Las Vegas this weekend so you know what they say...

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas....

But anyhow, I actually did stick closely to my plan over the past week.  I only missed one swim workout.

Monday, I did my bike and run.  Tuesday, I took off.  Wednesday, I did a swim in the morning (covered 2300 yds) and tried out the new work gym for a lift, bike, run.  The new work Gym is MONEY bye the way.  They added a smith machine and they have a number of new bikes and treadmills.  Thursday, I completed my bike ride on the trainer and Friday, I missed my swim, but did a brick in the FLAMINGO fitness center.  The hotel was pretty old school, but they had a nice spinning bike and good treadmills to help me get through the workout.  On Saturday, I did another indoor brick and on Sunday, I went outside into the nice 70 degree morning to run for 75 minutes on the strip.   Vegas was pretty sweet!  The wife and I did a little gambling, but ate at a number of really good restaurants.   The Mesa Grill was excellent and Bouchon was one of the BEST ever ate at.   Needless to say... I was living outside the ZONE for the entire trip.  I also drank a little more than usual.  Anyhow, I flew home on Monday and switched my off day to accommodate.  Back to work on Tuesday!

021509 - Run

Yesterday I went out for a long run on the National Mall.  The weather was cool (high 30s) and It was a bit windy.  I covered around 8 miles in 75 minutes and kept my HR in the low 150s.  The legs were a bit tired from the long run on Saturday, but I muscled through.  Toward the end of the run, I slowed down a bit and kept my HR around 148 for the last 5-10 minutes.  I was happy to cover two long runs in two days and I was surprised at how good I felt after it.

021409 - Brick

Yesterday I started a brick at around 10:00 AM.  I rode the bike in the basement and spent 30 minutes on it.  My average speed was around 19 mph, my average cadence was 91 and my HR stayed in the low 150s.  I transitioned to the outdoors for a 90 minute run.  The weather was cool (around 40 degrees) and I was cool at the start.  It didn't take long to warm up and I was happy to cover 11.25 miles (average pace was around 8 minute miles).  My average HR was in the low 160s.

I was really happy with this long brick.  I am getting excited for the marathon and it was good to see what I could do in 90 minutes.  I feel like I am positioned to have a strong run in the marathon and I am happy with where I am in my training so far.

021309 - swim

Had a nice swim this evening.  I spent 45 minutes and decided not to count laps.  I just went and took a few breaks around every 4 - 500 yds.  I felt really good in the water and kept it casual.

021309 - Brick

This morning I got up at 6:30 and did a brick.  I spent 30 minutes on the bike and 45 minutes on the run.  On the bike I kept my HR around 145 and my cadence at 90 RPMs.  I transitioned slowly, had to bundle up for the cooler weather, and ran 5.5 miles in the 45 minutes (around 8:18 pace).  My HR stayed around 160 on the run, but dipped for a while to the lower 150s.  I felt pretty rested and enjoyed a nice big bowl of fruit, yogurt and cottage cheese after.  I also washed in down with the ultimate recovery drink (Chocolate Milk).  This is sort of becoming my morning Zone-ish breakfast!

021209 - Bike

Yesterday I had a long day at work, but once I got home I jumped on the trainer for 90 minutes.  Max sent me an email that day giving me a hard time for "going off the reservation" and noted that I may be falling into the common error of working too hard on my recovery days.  So I put on a movie (Stepbrothers) and took it easy for the long ride.  Despite my more casual approach, I was surprised to see that after the long workout, I maintained an average HR of 138, maintain an average cadence of 89 RPMs, and averaged almost 18 mph.  It was good to take it easier and I was happy to get through it because my legs were pretty tight from the lifting.

021109 - Lift-Bike-Run

Tonight was one of the hardest weight workouts I have ever had.  I upped my weight for the step-ups (moved to 45 lb dumbells) and that little change made a big difference.  Also, as I stated in my previous post, I was quite tired before I got started and that did not help.  I went to the gym and did the superset followed by lunges and crunches.  I seriously saw some spots in this workout and I wanted to freakin shoot myself!  It hurt and I did not have a lot of energy at all!  I was surprised I felt this way because I had my late afternoon snack at 3:30 (two polyo string cheeses an apple and a bunch of almonds).  Unfortunately, this did not give me the boost I needed for the weights.  I will say again that it was rough!

After the weights, I jumped on the bike for a 15 minute spin at a 90+ RPM cadence.  My HR was around 130 during the spin and after that I felt pretty good as I headed outside (IN SHORTS) for a 30 minute run.  I am loving this warm weather and I can't wait for Spring!  My HR during the run stayed quite low (around 140) and I moved at a decent pace (about 8:40s).  I covered 3.25 miles on the run and finished just below 30 minutes.

021009 - Swim

Yesterday I decided to skip my rest day and get my swim completed in the morning.  I went to the pool at around 7 am and did the usual routine.  I covered 2300 yards in 45 minutes and felt pretty good doing it.  After the swim, I was a bit tired and planned to do my lift-bike-run workout in the evening, but when I got news that my friends cancelled our dinner plans for Wednesday night, I realized I could use the rest and do my workout on Wednesday night instead.  Unfortunately, I found myself very moody in the evening and when me and the wife went out for a night on the town, I was not very good company.  I have noticed that I have been very tired lately and my tolerance for B.S. has been very low.  Work sucked on Tuesday, got frustrated with my wife, and realized that my frustration is probably due to the constant exhaustion I am feeling.  I hope this gets better, but I am going to make sure to keep myself in check mentally because I decided to pursue this goal and I need to live (happily) with the consequences.  I realized that this commitment is having a less positive impact on other areas of my life, but I am going to figure this out and work through it in a positive manner.   

020909 - Bike and Run

This morning I hit the trainer for an easy recovery ride.  I kept the chain on the big ring and the high rear gear and tried to keep my cadence up around 90 RPMs.  My HR average was 138 and my max HR was 146.  I took it easy to let my body recover from the hard weekend work and I was happy to get in the low intensity work effort.  After work, I ran home for a 30 minute run.  My HR average was around 145 and I kept it pretty light.  I covered around 3.5 miles.

020809 - 5K Time Trial

I had marching orders to deviate from my plan and do a 5K run on Sunday morning.  I was told to run as hard as I could, so I went down to Haynes Point for a 3.2 mile run.  I warmed up and realized the bike workout from the day before was still lingering in the legs.  I stretched out well, started the HR monitor and kicked it into high gear.  I was very psyched to see that I was able to finish the 5K in 22:12.  My HR average was 172 and I hate to say this, but I know I could have kept running after I finished.  This was my personal best and I have to say I am shocked that I can run that fast on tired legs.  I have had total confidence in Max from the start, but after this run and speaking to him Sunday evening, I am really excited about my progress and confident that I am well on my way to Ironman CDA!  

020709 - Brick

Saturday morning I did a killer brick.  Griff recommended that I try out the spinnervals "Tough Love" video so I downloaded it and gave it a shot for an hour and a half.  It was seriously the hardest bike workout I think I have ever completed.  I can not even imagine getting through the entire 3 hours.  My HR was around 160-165 for the entire 90 minutes and I was in rough shape right after.  I then changed into my running clothes (thank god for warm weather) and went out for a 30 minute run.  My wife wanted to run with me so I took it very easy and kept the HR average in the 135-140 range.

020609 - Brick

Last night I did a 75 minute brick.  I jumped on the trainer and rode for 30 minutes and then I went out for a run around the catholic/reservoir loop.  During the bike, I kept an average cadence of 92 and an average speed of 18 mph.  My HR was around 147 on the bike.  I then took about 4 minutes to change into some warm clothes and went outside for the run.  The run felt really good and at times I felt like I was hauling ass.  I covered 5.75 miles in 44 minutes.  My Max HR on the run was 169 and I think I kept the average to around 155-165.  A good deal of time was spent in the low 160s.  Overall, my average HR for the workout was 150.

020609 - Swim

Went to the pool at 7 AM on Friday and covered 2300 yards in 45 minutes.  Warmed up with a 300 and then did 5 x 100s at 1:25-1:30s.  I then did a moderate paced 500 and then repeated the 5 x 100 set.  I then did a 300 and a 200 cool down.  I felt really good in the pool, but the legs were a bit tired from the bike workout the night before.

020509 - Bike

Today I spoke to Griff and he mentioned that he recently acquired a spinnervals video.  I have been wanting to check them out so after the chat, I went online and learned that I could purchase them and download them onto the computer.  I bought a special 3 video deal and was psyched to get on the bike this evening to try one of them out.  Over the past several weeks, the bike rides have been tough on the trainer and I realized that I am not getting enough variety in my workouts.  Everything has been steady state!

So I jumped on the bike, warmed up for 10 minutes and then did the video guided workout.  It was a base endurance workout and I really enjoyed the guidance.  I worked a little harder than I normally would and saw some impressive results on the bike computer.  Overall, I rode for 90 minutes and kept an average cadence of 89 rpms.  My average speed was 19 mph and my HR average was 152.  It makes a big difference to  train with a video like this and I would highly recommend it for anyone doing indoor bike workouts.  I am really looking forward to checking out the other two videos as well.  One of them is called "Tough Love" and from what Griff says, it is a bear!  I am planning to hit that one on Saturday.

020409 - Lift-Bike-Run

I went to the gym Wednesday evening to lift, bike and run.  I had a week away from the lifting so I was ready to get back at it.  I did the squats on the smith machine with 65 lbs on each side and I did the step ups with 40 lb dumbells.  When doing the superset, my HR hit a max of 183.  I then did lunges while holding onto a 45 lb dumbell over my head and 9 sets of crunches.  Overall, I felt really strong while lifting, but I still feel some pain on the superset.  My average HR during the lifting was 137 and I was surprised by that because I did the whole routine in under 35 minutes.

Once I finished, I jumped on the bike for a 15 min spin at a cadence of over 90 rpms.  My HR stayed around 135 on the bike.  I then jumped on the treadmill, set the incline to 1% and ran for 30 minutes at an 8:30 pace.  I felt really good on the run and was happy to see that at this pace and incline, my average HR stayed at around 147.  Overall, my average HR on the bike/run was 141 and my max HR was 164.  

020409 - Swim

Went to the pool Wednesday morning at 7 AM and swam for 45 minutes.  I covered 2200 yards in that time and mixed it up with sets of 100s broken up by a 500.  When doing the 100s I kept my time under 1:30s and my HR around 150-160.  I felt good and refreshed when I got to the pool and was happy with the workout.

020209 - Run

I ran home from work today and it is getting cold again!  They are calling for a wintery mix this evening, but I was glad to get outside for a 30 minute run before the weather came in.  I ran from work to home, via the reservoir, and I felt really good.  I am still getting some tight soreness in my right calf muscle, but I need to stretch it out a little better.  This run was good because it is all pretty much up hill.  My average HR on the run was 150.  My max HR was 166 and I covered 3.5 miles.

020209 - Bike

This morning I got on the trainer for an hour.  I am really happy to have a cadence monitor now because I can really get some good feedback on how I am doing.  I started light and easy for the first 10 minutes and then I got going with an average cadence of around 91.  My average speed was 17 mph and my average HR was 143.  My max HR was 155.  I also finally got a new pair of bike shorts (sugoi brand) and I really liked them.  No more chaffing through the little hole I wore in my other shorts.  

020109 - Run

Sunday was a nice warm day so I jumped in the car and headed down to the national mall for a run.  It was about 55 degrees and sunny so I broke out the shorts.  I was scheduled to run for 45 minutes, but went for 55 minutes because I was enjoying the weather so much.  I ran from 2nd street to the lincoln memorial and then all the way to lincoln park and back.  I covered 6.5 miles and maintained a pace of around 8:30s.  My average HR was 156.